July 29, 2011

Cowboys and Aliens (***1/2)

Old-timey western
Aliens with laser beams
Ford is an old grouch

Possible spoilers ahead!

I've never read any of the comic that this movie is based on, so I have no clue as to how close it is to the story, but I had a good time watching this on the big screen. It wasn't quite as epic as I thought it was going to be, and some of the characters--Daniel Craig's Jake Lonergan, to be specific--weren't what I had pictured in my head. As weird as it sounds, Jake talked too much. He didn't talk that much, but when he did, some of the mystery of the character was lost. Harrison Ford was great as a grouchy old military man/livestock baron, and he had a little depth that came out in the end, which made for a well-rounded character. There was quite a bit of humor as well, which played well on the "adapted from a comic" idea, I think.

The titular aliens were decently rendered, but I was still wondering what their deal was when the credits rolled. I suppose the reason they give in the movie makes sense, and works with the time period, but I still find myself wanting to know a little bit more.